


caught you watching me under the light

by Swag_1_Fam_a_Lam



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Angst, Established Relationship, Injury, M/M, Post-Game(s), but very very mild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 01:36:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19241182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swag_1_Fam_a_Lam/pseuds/Swag_1_Fam_a_Lam
Summary: Matt doesn't learn about the broken sternum until after Game 5 against the Blues.He's not impressed.





	caught you watching me under the light

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually something I wasn’t going to write, as I’m in the middle of a much longer Noel/Gryz fic currently, but I put that on momentary pause for this because I was ‘inspired’ by the injury reports - which were horrendous. Like seriously what the fuck
> 
> Also, I completely forgot they actually stopped Noel playing during the Columbus series, presumably due to the fucking broken sternum - I’m still mad about this - so let’s pretend they didn’t

 

  
  


Matt watches the game from the press box.

It’s physically painful to sit there when every fiber of his being aches to be down on the ice, doing _something_ , anything, to help his team.  Beside him, Wags looks on, fingers clasped so tight they’re turning pale, and Backes looks like someone just kicked his dog.

When Noel gets tripped, he’s up and out of his chair in seconds, fingers tightening on the bar at the edge of the counter. A couple of journalists look his way in surprise, not expecting such a vehement reaction.

Wags pulls him back into his seat by his elbow, hissing in his ear; “He’ll be fine, he’s gone through worse.”

He’s not wrong, but Matt’s heart still thuds too hard and fast as he watches his boyfriend struggle to get back up. He’d known Noel when he was studying at BU, they’ve been together since Providence, and he’s never seen him take so long to get back up after a hit, even one like this.

It doesn’t get any better when the trainers send Noel down the tunnel, and Wags has to physically restrain him with a hand on his knee to stop him from leaving. It’s never easy seeing the people you love get hurt on the ice, and there's an added helplessness that accompanies being in the press box.  His fists remain clenched on the counter top in front of him for the remainder of the game, even when Noel comes back out the tunnel. He doesn’t trust the doctors completely, not when he knows they’re allowing Chara to play with his broken jaw, and god knows who else with whatever injury plagues them. 

When it ends, a loss but not a blowout thankfully, they start to make their way out the press box down to the locker room. Matt’s not even out the door when one of the reporters calls his name. The guy’s small and squirrelly, with a patchy beard and a thin mustache, in one hand he's clutching a notepad, his pen is poised just above the paper.

“Hi?” He says, waving for Backes and Wagner to go on without him. He’d found that appeasing journalists was usually easier than trying to avoid them. 

“I just have a couple of questions, won’t take more than a minute.”

“Uh sure?”

“Excellent,” He looks down at his pad, then meets Matt’s gaze straight on, “Obviously not a good game, but you didn’t seem all that upset when the Blues were scoring.”

“Of course I was-” Matt frowns at the implication there, but the reporter cuts him off.

“And that you were especially emotional when no. 55 was uh, tripped.”

“It was a bad no call-”

“You and 55 are pretty close? Wagner and Backes didn’t seem as phased as you did and they’ve played on a line with him.”

Matt’s taken back by the forwardness of the question, they’d told the front office about their relationship, and most of the team had worked it out eventually. The media and general audience however, were still largely unaware, so to have a reporter even just imply what he was implying was unexpected.

“We’ve known each other since Providence, we’re good friends.” He gives the man a tight smile, “It was a bad non call and that’s all.”

The journalist thanks him with a self satisfied smile, and Matt dreads to think exactly what he’s planning to write about as he makes his way down to the locker room.

 

 

When he gets there he nods to Bruce when the Coach asks him if he’s okay, muttering something about reporters being nosy as an excuse. Cassidy doesn’t look like he buys it, but let’s him move forward into the room without further excuse. 

He looks over the mess of black and gold uniforms, all subdued and talking quietly amongst themselves, but doesn’t find what he’s looking for - only an empty stall.  Confused he scans the locker room one more time, gaze drifting over every stall and still not seeing him. He doesn’t panic, but something must show on his face because Sean beckons him over from across the room.

“He’s in with the doctors.” Kuraly explains as he strips off his protective gear. 

Matt blanches, “A concussion? They let him continue playing, I thought he passed protocol.”

“Not for a concussion,” The look on Sean’s face sours into something bitter, “For a broken sternum.”

“Broken sternum?” He gapes at the other man, whose frown only deepens, "Since when?"

“So he didn’t tell you either. I’m going to fucking kill him.”

Sean continues to describe exactly what he'd like to do to Matt's boyfriend, but he's still stuck on the whole broken sternum thing. They’re all a little bashed up, too tired and exhausted to do anything more than play until they can’t anymore. 

There’s been evenings, before and after the concussion, where he and Noel had been too beaten after a game to anything more than lie together on Matt and Charlies sofa, icing various aches and pains. But the other man had never given the indication of having _broken_ something. 

That being said, it's not the first time that Noels done this, hide an injury from them all, but that doesn't stop it hurting any less.

“When did you find out?” He asks. 

“We asked him on the bench, why he didn’t get up faster.” Matt starts to protest just on principle, but Sean continues undeterred, “None of us blame him, you know we don’t. We were worried.”

“He said the docs said it was a broken sternum,” Nordstrom interjects from the stall to the left, “I don’t even know what that means.”

“Nothing good.” Kuraly says, "Probably painful, what with breastbone being by the lungs and all.

“I’m going to go find the doctors,” Matt tells Sean, who opens his mouth to protest, but shuts it when he sees the look on his face. 

“I’ll tell Coach, you gonna go back to his?”

“I’ll see how pissed I am after I talk to him.”

Sean cracks a small smile at that and shakes his head, “I’ll let Cheeks now you might not be back tonight then.”

 

 

Matt exits the locker room without anyone commenting, although he can feel the eyes on his back. He's thankful they're at the Garden, so he knows the way to the doctors game day office all too well.

There's a couple of trainers hovering outside, talking amongst themselves and they wave him through. He slips into the room unnoticed, leaning on the wall by the door.

Noel’s sitting on the examination table whilst the doctor reads off a chart and fiddles with a small orange bottle - painkillers. Paying the doctor no mind he does a quick once over of his idiot boyfriend. 

He looks tired, though that’s to be expected, slouched on the bed leaning on one hand.  But he’s alive, hurting for sure, but breathing, and Matt feels most of the anger drain from his body, too relieved to feel much else. 

The doctor looks over to him eventually, a knowing look on her face and as explains the protocol for the painkillers.

“No more than four a day, with at least four hours between them. Take them with food, and for the love of god don’t supplement with other types of medication. I’m trusting you to make sure you follow these rules.” This last bit she aims at Matt, who nods his understanding. The Doctor knows hockey players - and Matt knows Noel - and they’re not the most reliable when it comes to medication restrictions during the playoffs. 

Noel, who can be observant when he wants to be, notices she’s not directing that last part at him, and shifts to look in Matt’s direction. He doesn’t look at all surprised to see him there, but his expression softens slightly.

“I will.” He says gently, still looking at Matt. 

The Doctor rolls her eyes, muttering under her breath about ‘useless hockey players’ as she signs off something on her papers. She sets the bottle on the edge of her desk and stands up, giving Matt a pointed look as she leaves the room.

Neither of them speak for a while, long after the sound of the Doctors footsteps fade. They listen to each other breath, but Noel’s are just a touch too shallow, too quick to be comforting. 

“You’re an idiot.” Matt announces into the quiet, pushing off from the wall, “I can’t even begin to tell you.”

Noel winces and looks away, “I know.”

“Do you?” He shakes his head, determined not to go down that line of argument, “Never mind. How long has it been broken?”

He’s expecting something like the start of this series, maybe the end of the Carolina one, but not; “Since Columbus.”

“ _ Columbus _ ?” He says incredulously, "That's weeks ago, should you even still be playing?"

Noel considers this and replies with silence.

"Typical." Matt mutters, but he's not angry anymore, can’t be really, since he knows if he were in the same position, he’d do the same, smart decision or not. All he wants to do is go home, curl up with his boyfriend and forget about the game, about hockey as a whole. 

“Why the hell am I still with you,” He mutters, but even as he says it his feet are carrying him over to the table. He wraps his arms around him and squeezes his eyes shut as Noel slumps against his shoulder.

“Because you love me?” 

“I do, even if you are a self sacrificing idiot with no functioning brain cells.” It’s not meant to be completely humorous, but Noel huffs a laugh anyway, although immediately afterwards there’s a sharp pained intake of breath. Matt grips him a little tighter. 

“I'd ask how bad it is but I know you won't tell me the truth.” He murmurs against the top of Noels head. He can feel the other man shift against the crook of his neck, about to protest, “No don’t argue, I know you. You played an entire season with a sports hernia and just told me you were having bad cramps”

“I mean-”

“I don’t want to hear it. I’m not going to try and convince you to tell me next time, because I know it won’t work.”

“That’s not-”

“But please just-just try not to injure yourself again next season okay?”

“I don’t do it on purpose.” He sounds petulant, like a child, and Matt has to tamper down a smile. 

“I know, I know.” He takes a step back, disentangling himself and searching the room for a clock. It’s late and he imagines the doctor will be back soon enough, “Let's get you out of here.

The other man nods his approval, and Matt swipes the bottle of painkillers off the desk as Noel eases himself off the table with a grimace.

 

 

Later they’ll have to talk about this. 

Matt will google exactly what a broken sternum means and when he finds out exactly how dangerous it can be he’ll freak out. They’ll argue, it might even take several days, but they’ve never been very good at being mad at each other for very long. The anger won’t last.

Maybe they'll win the cup, maybe they won't, either way, Sean will come over at some point before he goes to join his family, will bitch and moan about playing with injuries. The lecture will devolve into drinking and playing Chel until the early hours of the morning as it always does.  Noel will have to get surgery during the summer, and it'll be the same routine as last year: Matt'll appropriate his flat for a few weeks while his boyfriend recovers and he'll wonder why they don't make it a permanent arrangement. He won't bring it up. 

But that’s for later. 

Right now Matt lets Noel lean against him, tugs him close enough to kiss and just breaths him in. One of Noel’s hands is on his hip, warm and grounding.

“Let’s go home.” He says under his breath. 

After all, they have time.  

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second fic for this ship on AO3 and I am so here for it you don’t even know. I am currently writing a much longer acciari/grzelcyk fic, but I was really inspired to write this so, here we go
> 
> If you’re someone who also follows my Bruins in Space series, and god do I need to change up that name, then there’s the next one of those in the works that I’ll be finishing after the a/g one, and it’s Bergy/Marchy
> 
> Thanks for reading, kudos and comments are adored!
> 
> Cheers!


End file.
